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Heartfelt Horrors: Nine Short Stories
From the author of Hyenas and Things Not Made, a collection of nine short horror stories of loss, loneliness and isolation.
A man finds an old shoe box in his garden. Inside, a doll-sized corpse.
A huge creature manifests at the end of Elbow Street but only Timothy Cleg can see it.
In the trenches of World War I, a lone infantryman encounters the end of innocence.
As her contract comes to an end, an office temp begins to lose first her senses then her mind.
These and five more tales of terror will make your flesh crawl and your heart break.
Trigger warning: contains references to child bereavement.
A man finds an old shoe box in his garden. Inside, a doll-sized corpse.
A huge creature manifests at the end of Elbow Street but only Timothy Cleg can see it.
In the trenches of World War I, a lone infantryman encounters the end of innocence.
As her contract comes to an end, an office temp begins to lose first her senses then her mind.
These and five more tales of terror will make your flesh crawl and your heart break.
Trigger warning: contains references to child bereavement.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
145 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 5, 2020
12 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Michael Sellars
10 books50 followersMichael Sellars was forced to begin writing stories as a child when Liverpool’s libraries struggled to satisfy his appetite for horror, fantasy and science fiction.
He has contributed stories to All Hallows, Murky Depths, Nocturne, Fusing Horizons, Morpheus Tales, the Best Tales of the Apocalypse anthology from Permuted Press and the From the Trenches anthology from Carnifex Press.
His books include the cosmic horror novellas, Things Not Made and Percipience, and the short story collection, Heartfelt Horrors.
His novel, Hyenas, was published by Northodox Press in 2022. His latest novel is Choking Hazards and will be published by Dead Ink in early 2027. He is represented by The Liverpool Literary Agency.
You can connect with him as @HorrorPaperback account over on Twitter. Click here
He has contributed stories to All Hallows, Murky Depths, Nocturne, Fusing Horizons, Morpheus Tales, the Best Tales of the Apocalypse anthology from Permuted Press and the From the Trenches anthology from Carnifex Press.
His books include the cosmic horror novellas, Things Not Made and Percipience, and the short story collection, Heartfelt Horrors.
His novel, Hyenas, was published by Northodox Press in 2022. His latest novel is Choking Hazards and will be published by Dead Ink in early 2027. He is represented by The Liverpool Literary Agency.
You can connect with him as @HorrorPaperback account over on Twitter. Click here
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 22, 2020
Nine strange and compelling tales, weaving extraordinary narratives from such agonies as grief, incomprehension, and isolation. More than once, the magic here touched even my cold, black heart.
August 31, 2020
I knew within the first few paragraphs that I was going to love this collection. For me there was not one weak story. Each deserved its place in a collection called Heartfelt Horror.
How would I describe it? Weird, quirky, surreal, unpredictable, dream-like, with a smattering of clever dark humor. Also incredible attention to detail, with descriptive elements in just the right places, and thought-provoking, too. For example, in Written in Water I found myself considering the age-old existential question, if no-one notices us, do we truly exist? In Nails Without Pictures, the subject of how easy it is to diminish a person with words, the sustained emotional abuse of the narcissist.
The author’s style reminded me of one of my favorite writers, Kathe Koja. I could imagine this collection fitting right in to a Meerkat Press list.
My personal favorites were Tabaniday and Abhorrent Vacuum, though I would rate each and every story a five, which is rare in a collection.
I found the stories poignant, with a few devastating scenes, and yet with the absence of sentimentality. Just brilliant! I will definitely read more from this author.
How would I describe it? Weird, quirky, surreal, unpredictable, dream-like, with a smattering of clever dark humor. Also incredible attention to detail, with descriptive elements in just the right places, and thought-provoking, too. For example, in Written in Water I found myself considering the age-old existential question, if no-one notices us, do we truly exist? In Nails Without Pictures, the subject of how easy it is to diminish a person with words, the sustained emotional abuse of the narcissist.
The author’s style reminded me of one of my favorite writers, Kathe Koja. I could imagine this collection fitting right in to a Meerkat Press list.
My personal favorites were Tabaniday and Abhorrent Vacuum, though I would rate each and every story a five, which is rare in a collection.
I found the stories poignant, with a few devastating scenes, and yet with the absence of sentimentality. Just brilliant! I will definitely read more from this author.
July 8, 2021
Usually, when I see the word "heartfelt" used, it's in a sappy, treacly context, usually employed alongside "touching" or "wholesome." I associate it with Hallmark movies and things which are deliberately engineered to manipulate emotions to that audience-echoed place of Awwww.
As such, I am ashamed to say, I gave this a miss the first time it crossed my radar. I didn't know what to expect from a collection of stories which, to me, had such implications! Was it going to be "Chicken Soup for the Soul," but...for vampires?
More the fool, I.
Twitter's clever little algorithm one day served me with the author's profile, where he often posts the art of classic paperback horror novels, and after a little while spent following him, I decided to give his collection a try. Based on what I'd seen, I figured maybe my initial assessment of the title had been incorrect. After reading the entire collection in a whirlwind, I'm happy to say that my first impression was, indeed, 100% wrong.
The depth of imagination and the force of intellect behind the writing is immediately apparent, right from the get-go, with "Written in Water," which attacks the sense of self, the sense of one's established identity in the world, and is a slow, steady drip of existential horror that makes canny use of very modern concerns to illustrate a timeless terror. Thematically, it reminded me of some of the short stories of Philip K. Dick, but the language is what really put it over the top for me. This was deliberate, thoughtful writing, and the images were more poetic and visceral than anything I'd come across in a while. At one point in this story, the author writes:
Whereas I didn't feel that the story concluded in as satisfying a way as I would have liked, I was blown away by the rendering of it, and couldn't wait to see what else was to follow.
These nine stories are big, conceptual horrors that squirm uncomfortably in their tiny shells. Not all of them feel like they are entirely successful, for me, but each of them are strongly, stirringly evocative. "Nails Without Pictures," the second story in the collection, is like a Shel Silverstein poem, but with a grown man as the protagonist, a cautionary tale that could slot alongside some of Roald Dahl's grislier work. Again, with this story, I felt that there were some things which could have been tightened, thematically, but the overall effect was strikingly cinematic and disturbed me plenty.
"Undressed Wounds," the third story, also impressed me. The language was gorgeous, the story was unique, and I was fascinated by the way Sellars continued to mine the desperation (real, or otherwise) that drives humans to do shocking things. Once again, frustratingly, the twist of this story was satisfying but the resolution felt rushed. It felt like it attempted to explain what didn't need to be explained, and I felt like leaving some things implicit would have strengthened the ending here.
"Today Is Not" surprised me with its construction. It's one of those stories that deliberately disorients the reader with a host of strange actions on the protagonist's part and does not explain them - until it does, in a shocking bit of exposition that reveals, once again, a powerful imagination behind the words. This story reminded me intensely, not only in composition, but also in execution, of some of Ramsey Campbell's work, but also some of Clive Barker's dark fantasies. The final sentence confused the hell out of me. I may have missed something in the narrative.
"Tabaniday" was almost the inverse of my experience with the prior stories. The beginning of it felt a bit laggy in pace, doing a great deal of set-up, and then in the middle of the story took a hard left turn into the surreal atmosphere that had been cannily built from the beginning. The ending of this story was by far the most satisfying in the collection, and I think it is due to the fact that author leaned into the surreality rather than attempting to bring the story in for a landing. The final exchange of dialogue is haunting and pitch-perfect.
"And Everything but Wretchedness Forgotten" was one of the shorter stories, and a period piece, in the trenches of The Great War. This was gorgeously illustrated, but the story didn't really do much for me, personally. It felt more like a bunch of disparate things stitched together, and the overall effect felt muted. It's hard, in my opinion, to portray dread in an environment like wartime, which is so unrelentingly terror-filled that it overwhelms everything else.
"A Shiver of Sharks" was entertaining, but slight on meat for me. I liked the idea, but there wasn't too much to it other than a fun reveal.
"The Green Man" leaned a little harder into the dark fantasy vein that Sellars mined in "Today is Not," and for the most part, I enjoyed this one. The author is at his best when he is in description mode, and this one is bursting at the seams with illuminations of a surreal, alien world and navigated by a newcomer suffused with grief. This one, too, didn't end in a very satisfying place for me, but the world and its odd rules regarding life and the living of it (if you can call it life) was a place I'd love to see the author return to, and develop further.
And finally, "Abhorrent Vacuum," the final story, which also deals with processing grief, had the unique ability of summing up many of themes passed through in the stories that came before - an existential threat, the uselessness of warring against what wishes to erase us (even ourselves), and does so in a chilling, surreal way. This one was interesting, and deftly written, and I loved the structure of it, from the framing device of sessions with a bereavement counselor to a confrontation built up from the beginning, but its eventual resolution didn't feel as earned as I would have liked it to. I think, looking at it as an abstract examination of one man's process of coming to terms with grief, it succeeds - but there's something missing, I feel like (perhaps intentionally?) that makes me really resonate with the events of the conclusion.
These stories are at their best, I feel, when they plunge wholeheartedly into that uncanny place between surreality and reality, as in "Tabaniday," or to a lesser degree, "A Shiver of Sharks," where some things are left implicit, or even symbolic, allowing the reader to supply their own interpretations.
The depth of the themes and the considered, unique approaches that Sellars takes to each story is enough for me to recommend it to others, but it's the strength of the writing that really puts it over the top for me. Nearly every page has a startlingly poetic simile or turn of phrase, and it's rare for me to find that level of linguistic prowess in collections of independent horror - I think the last time I was so impressed was with Michael Wehunt's collection Greener Pastures.
I'll be looking for more of Sellars' work, for sure.
As such, I am ashamed to say, I gave this a miss the first time it crossed my radar. I didn't know what to expect from a collection of stories which, to me, had such implications! Was it going to be "Chicken Soup for the Soul," but...for vampires?
More the fool, I.
Twitter's clever little algorithm one day served me with the author's profile, where he often posts the art of classic paperback horror novels, and after a little while spent following him, I decided to give his collection a try. Based on what I'd seen, I figured maybe my initial assessment of the title had been incorrect. After reading the entire collection in a whirlwind, I'm happy to say that my first impression was, indeed, 100% wrong.
The depth of imagination and the force of intellect behind the writing is immediately apparent, right from the get-go, with "Written in Water," which attacks the sense of self, the sense of one's established identity in the world, and is a slow, steady drip of existential horror that makes canny use of very modern concerns to illustrate a timeless terror. Thematically, it reminded me of some of the short stories of Philip K. Dick, but the language is what really put it over the top for me. This was deliberate, thoughtful writing, and the images were more poetic and visceral than anything I'd come across in a while. At one point in this story, the author writes:
Mr. Gladvice was licking his lips. Jenny recognized the sound. It was like a catch of eels struggling against one another in a huge fishing net.
Whereas I didn't feel that the story concluded in as satisfying a way as I would have liked, I was blown away by the rendering of it, and couldn't wait to see what else was to follow.
These nine stories are big, conceptual horrors that squirm uncomfortably in their tiny shells. Not all of them feel like they are entirely successful, for me, but each of them are strongly, stirringly evocative. "Nails Without Pictures," the second story in the collection, is like a Shel Silverstein poem, but with a grown man as the protagonist, a cautionary tale that could slot alongside some of Roald Dahl's grislier work. Again, with this story, I felt that there were some things which could have been tightened, thematically, but the overall effect was strikingly cinematic and disturbed me plenty.
"Undressed Wounds," the third story, also impressed me. The language was gorgeous, the story was unique, and I was fascinated by the way Sellars continued to mine the desperation (real, or otherwise) that drives humans to do shocking things. Once again, frustratingly, the twist of this story was satisfying but the resolution felt rushed. It felt like it attempted to explain what didn't need to be explained, and I felt like leaving some things implicit would have strengthened the ending here.
"Today Is Not" surprised me with its construction. It's one of those stories that deliberately disorients the reader with a host of strange actions on the protagonist's part and does not explain them - until it does, in a shocking bit of exposition that reveals, once again, a powerful imagination behind the words. This story reminded me intensely, not only in composition, but also in execution, of some of Ramsey Campbell's work, but also some of Clive Barker's dark fantasies. The final sentence confused the hell out of me. I may have missed something in the narrative.
"Tabaniday" was almost the inverse of my experience with the prior stories. The beginning of it felt a bit laggy in pace, doing a great deal of set-up, and then in the middle of the story took a hard left turn into the surreal atmosphere that had been cannily built from the beginning. The ending of this story was by far the most satisfying in the collection, and I think it is due to the fact that author leaned into the surreality rather than attempting to bring the story in for a landing. The final exchange of dialogue is haunting and pitch-perfect.
"And Everything but Wretchedness Forgotten" was one of the shorter stories, and a period piece, in the trenches of The Great War. This was gorgeously illustrated, but the story didn't really do much for me, personally. It felt more like a bunch of disparate things stitched together, and the overall effect felt muted. It's hard, in my opinion, to portray dread in an environment like wartime, which is so unrelentingly terror-filled that it overwhelms everything else.
"A Shiver of Sharks" was entertaining, but slight on meat for me. I liked the idea, but there wasn't too much to it other than a fun reveal.
"The Green Man" leaned a little harder into the dark fantasy vein that Sellars mined in "Today is Not," and for the most part, I enjoyed this one. The author is at his best when he is in description mode, and this one is bursting at the seams with illuminations of a surreal, alien world and navigated by a newcomer suffused with grief. This one, too, didn't end in a very satisfying place for me, but the world and its odd rules regarding life and the living of it (if you can call it life) was a place I'd love to see the author return to, and develop further.
And finally, "Abhorrent Vacuum," the final story, which also deals with processing grief, had the unique ability of summing up many of themes passed through in the stories that came before - an existential threat, the uselessness of warring against what wishes to erase us (even ourselves), and does so in a chilling, surreal way. This one was interesting, and deftly written, and I loved the structure of it, from the framing device of sessions with a bereavement counselor to a confrontation built up from the beginning, but its eventual resolution didn't feel as earned as I would have liked it to. I think, looking at it as an abstract examination of one man's process of coming to terms with grief, it succeeds - but there's something missing, I feel like (perhaps intentionally?) that makes me really resonate with the events of the conclusion.
These stories are at their best, I feel, when they plunge wholeheartedly into that uncanny place between surreality and reality, as in "Tabaniday," or to a lesser degree, "A Shiver of Sharks," where some things are left implicit, or even symbolic, allowing the reader to supply their own interpretations.
The depth of the themes and the considered, unique approaches that Sellars takes to each story is enough for me to recommend it to others, but it's the strength of the writing that really puts it over the top for me. Nearly every page has a startlingly poetic simile or turn of phrase, and it's rare for me to find that level of linguistic prowess in collections of independent horror - I think the last time I was so impressed was with Michael Wehunt's collection Greener Pastures.
I'll be looking for more of Sellars' work, for sure.
July 20, 2023
What a joy this was! I don't think there was a single story that flopped for me, thoroughly enjoyed each piece.
Beautiful imagery, solid characterisation, unpredictable, heart-wrenching at times, bizarre in others. It explores tragic circumstances without being melodramatic. Some places even got a chuckle out of me. My only nitpick settled with a few instances edging on repetitive for me, but that's the only negative that stuck out. Overall, this collection was weaved together beautifully, and didn't fall victim to excessive sentimentality. Very clever, and expertly written.
I'm struggling to think of my favourite pieces because they all hit the mark. But, I will tentatively note Nails Without Pictures, Tabaniday, A Shiver of Sharks, and Abhorrent Vacuum as my absolute stand-outs.
Excellent collection, a new favourite for sure.
Beautiful imagery, solid characterisation, unpredictable, heart-wrenching at times, bizarre in others. It explores tragic circumstances without being melodramatic. Some places even got a chuckle out of me. My only nitpick settled with a few instances edging on repetitive for me, but that's the only negative that stuck out. Overall, this collection was weaved together beautifully, and didn't fall victim to excessive sentimentality. Very clever, and expertly written.
I'm struggling to think of my favourite pieces because they all hit the mark. But, I will tentatively note Nails Without Pictures, Tabaniday, A Shiver of Sharks, and Abhorrent Vacuum as my absolute stand-outs.
Excellent collection, a new favourite for sure.
July 11, 2020
I read a lot of short horror, specifically British horror. I hadn’t heard of Michael Sellars until this collection was recommended to me by my Kindle. I’m impressed and that’s hard. Atmospheric, evocative without being blatantly spelled out, unsettling without resorting to easy misogyny and sexism or shitty, shlocky gore. Reminds me of Adam Neville’s work. The one quibble I have is that the author tends to recycle a lot of the same names for characters which can be confusing - are these stories all taking place in the same universe or not? (It seems some are but not all, according to the afterward; these were largely written years apart.) Other than that, wholeheartedly recommend to fans of Ellen Datlow anthologies, Best New Horror compendiums, etc.
January 28, 2021
Can horror stories be therapeutic? We've all struggled with grief, loss, the break down of a once fulfilling relationship. But these nine stories put the raw emotion we've experienced through a filter of terror, taking our own fears and emotions to unexplained and haunted places. Also highly recommend Things Not Made.
May 5, 2021
I have consistently LOVED every Michael Sellars book that I've had the pleasure to read. He has the ability to make even the most mundane of circumstances seem disturbingly otherworldly and unsettling.
I would highly recommend this!
I would highly recommend this!
October 29, 2021
This is a superb collection! I really enjoyed every story and they were also all kind of metaphorical, with a surface meaning and a deeper one. I will most definitely be buying the rest of this author's books now. Really well written and the imagery was beautiful at times.
February 12, 2022
Absolutely stunning collection of short horror stories. Not a duff one here.
December 3, 2020
These stories are all great: certainly horror, much of it extremely gory, but with melancholic emotional depth, humor, and really weird, unique dark fantasy worldbuilding/creatures/etc. mixed in. Some feel slightly underdeveloped or unfinished ("The Green Man", "A Shiver of Sharks") but even they are striking. "Written in Water", the first story, might be my favorite-- a smart, surreal allegory for social alienation, the disposability of workers, and possibly depression/suicidal thoughts.
July 22, 2021
Nine magical twisted tales that takes one down dark atmospheric corridors filled with strange and beautiful imagery. Comparisons to Ligotti can be made, but in the end, Michale spins worlds uniquely his own, and I'm happy he allowed me a visit.
January 10, 2023
It was a solid read. Nails Without Pictures felt to me like the best one - it is a story at the level of a Lagan, Balingrund or an Aickman.
Simple but effective, haunting but strange and delivering a good balance between the dark fantasy and the sad reality of day to day life.
Simple but effective, haunting but strange and delivering a good balance between the dark fantasy and the sad reality of day to day life.
October 11, 2024
These are some excellent short stories. They're all sad and heartbreaking, but definitely full of heart and humanity, as well as empathy for these flawed, broken characters.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews